In The Welfare Of War 1-3 (ON HOLD)
by Mina Lisly
Summary: Two Kingdoms at the wake of war. Two Kings (Luke Garroway&Valentine Morgenstern) in an everlasting feud. One General (Jace Wayland) sent to settle peace. And one girl (Clary)who gets in the way of it all. {OOC AH AU} - CLACE - Romance/Family/Drama/Action/War - Beta: Shauna Kullden & book-lover-862
1. 1 - Rescue

**My dear little broccolis💚💚💚**

 **~ I know many of you wanted this story back, so here it is** **. Know that I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ IT ALL OVER AGAIN. And PLEASE, don't spoil in reviews (if you want to talk spoilers, let's PM). The story, (like all stories that I have to load** **again) will be very much more developed here, so ... Yeah, I thin you should READ IT ALL OVER AGAIN.**

 **~ And I hope that all the new readers will love this take on Jace and our beloved characters.**

 **Love💚💚💚**

 **.**

 **Chapter 1** **: Rescue (4,K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **General Jace Wayland, protégé of King Valentine.**

 **.**

Jace looked at the full moon rising through the small window of his cell, sighing with chagrin as he realized that it had been for a full month that he had been held captive. He tried very hard to not think of his men and of the possibility that they could have been captured as well, or even worse, killed by the mercenaries who took him; and he let despair take over him as he leaned his head against the cold wall of his prison cell.

He didn't even know where he was. Whether it was in which country, or in which part of the keep, Jace had absolutely no idea of his location. He knew that he was in a high part of the keep because he could distinctly see the sky every day that passed by. And he also knew that he was rather far away from any stairs because he never heard his keepers' echoing footsteps walking up the stairs in the rare times they came to feed him.

Jace had to say that he was rather surprised that he hadn't been tortured. He had been expecting much, given his high rank in the army, and his close connection to his King. And this was what was destroying him the most. It wasn't so much of being at the mercy of some mercenaries, it wasn't that he had been bested by some lawless criminal. No, what killed Jace the most was that he had let down his King and failed the mission that his monarch had entrusted to him.

 _"_ _General. After thinking about it very thoroughly, I decided to end this meaningless war with the Garroway Kingdom. I have been advised that the tactic that I had been using ever since the beginning of this war was not good enough, and so I feel like I should follow a new kind of ' Diplomacy' to ensure the peace in our kingdoms," King Valentine told him as they were alone in the vast Council room._

 _The Garroway Kingdom had declared war for over a decade. Jace had always lived with the threat that war might become less latent and explode at any moment overnight. He never really knew what the two Kings' feud was actually about, he just knew that King Luke Garroway was determined to win, and to kill Jace's King and benefactor, Valentine Morgenstern. Jace knew that several private assassins had been sent against the good King Valentine, and that the General Lucian Graymark was the only reason the monarch had never been harmed- yet._

 _Several times, the Council tried to convince the King to march on to the Garroway kingdom and crush his kingdom before he could try to ally with any other, or get his army too strong for them; but the King never accepted, always saying that this wouldn't be right or fair. But, maybe this time was different._

 _"_ _Are you intending on sending peace emissaries?" Jace asked, although he already knew the answer to his question._

 _King Valentine already went to the Garroway Kingdom during Jace's teenage years, in the hope to finally cease this endless latent war; but it only came to a dead-end. Jace could still remember how upset the King had been when he came back from this journey, and how he had wished that his monarch had let him come with him so he could have been of some moral support for him in this foe country._

 _The King was everything to Jace. Mostly because Jace had no-one else, but also because Jace deeply cared for his leader. It was the King who caught him stealing when he was ten years old, but the Morgesntern monarch took Jace in. He treated him as a son and provided for him with everything that he could want or need. It was the King who placed Jace in the army forces and asked for his best man to take care of his training. It was the King who made sure that Jace learned how to write and read. It was the King who ensured that Jace's knowledge of foreign politics was flawless. And yet, the King did many things that Jace never thought he would receive._

 _When he was sick, the King would always stay by his bed. When he was in doubt, the King would advise him the best he could. The King came to see Jace weekly at the barracks since Jace always refused to come live at the Palace, and slowly, they built a relationship that Jace wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Sure, this relationship might have helped him become a General sooner than men usually did, despite his young age; but Jace also knew that he was General Graymark's best soldier. He was the best swordsman (notably of their country and many others), he was the most resistant fighter, and he was the one who could always put aside his feelings in battle._

 _"_ _No," The King said with a sad smile that Jace shared. They both knew that the question had been useless. "I … I have been advised on something completely different and new. And after many sleepless nights, I think this is the most logical thing to do given the situation, and its recent development. I want you to take fifty of your best men and go to this kingdom so you could settle this nonsense once and for all._ _"_

 _Jace scrutinised his monarch, slightly taken aback by the way the King wasn't completely straightforward, and he bluntly asked:_ _"_ _Are you sending me to kill him?"_

 _The king grimaced, apparently not liking the question, but Jace knew that his King always liked and valued his honesty. Still, it seemed that the sovereign was having an internal struggle, and so Jace just waited for him to say what he had to say. The older man looked at Jace, his dark brown eyes showing concern, making Jace suddenly feel like the little kid he was when the King took him in._

 _"_ _I am sending you to save the innocent_ _lives of the citizens of both of our kingdoms. I will not spend lives of countless soldiers in a pointless war that neither of us can win. But I am not sending you to be a butcher. I am sending_ _ **you**_ _, because I know you will make the right judgement call when the moment is needed. And if you_ _ **have**_ _to kill King Luke in the end, so be it._ _"_

 _Jace nodded, understanding that his monarch was hoping for a more peaceful ending than King Luke's death. Jace could actually tell that the King was withholding something from him, but he didn't pressure the King into revealing his plans. Jace knew that sometimes, the best strategy was to have the least people know about it. If he had inform another ranked officer about it, and was judging that this was enough, Jace wouldn't question his judgement._

 _For a while, they both stayed silent, Jace staring into space, the King in his line of sight. He had to admit, it seemed that his monarch had aged considerably over the past couple of weeks, but it was probably just exhaustion. Even though his hair was starting to grey(or rather-white), replacing his pale blond hair, and even though wrinkles had started to appear around his eyes, the King was still a strong man. Unlike many other monarchs, he didn't let luxury get the best of him. He still trained, giving him that broad and imposing look that he still had, and he made a point on riding his horse at least twice a week, which made him endurant._

 _Suddenly Jace realised why the King seemed to have aged so abruptly. It was because he seemed devastated by his decision. But before he could say anything about it, the King inhaled deeply and regained his calm mask, giving Jace more information about his mission:_ _"_ _Given that you will be marching with a significant group of soldiers, it will probably take you four months or so to reach the Garroway kingdom. And I estimate that it would take several weeks for you to find a decent and reasonable way to approach him. I trust you to make the right decisions at the right times, and this is why I am giving you a total power of representation. Only my name will be stronger than your word. Make sure that you use that power, wisely._ _"_

 _"_ _I will," Jace promised._

" _And I trust you to trust your soldiers as well," King Valentine said in a firm and imposing tone, planting his dark brown gaze on Jace's golden eyes. "A different perspective can make the difference between war and peace."_

 _Jace nodded his affirmative yet again, and the King slowly paced in the Council room, his hands behind his back. Jace waited for the King to dismiss him, but the monarch kept on pacing, obviously preoccupied by what he was about to say, which alarmed Jace a little. King Valentine never hesitated in sharing with him his doubts in the matter of war or battle plans. So what was wrong?_

" _You will take ten men in addition to your squad. Untrained as soldiers, but necessary to this mission," The King said as he sat in the throne, making Jace frown. He couldn't spare time in training men to become soldiers._

 _"_ _Your majesty, it's suicide that to take_ _—"_

 _"_ _It was not a suggestion that I was giving you. This is an order. They are untrained as soldiers, but they know about the art of war. And like I said, they are necessary to this mission. I cannot only send men of war, when I am seeking peace," King Valentine firmly cut him off, everything in his tone indicating that he wouldn't give in to Jace._

 _So Jace nodded and bowed to his King with deference and humility, before taking his leave. As Jace opened the main door, the King said with kindness:_ _"_ _I am not sending you there to die, Jace. I want you to come back. I want you to come back with your soldiers, and my men._ _ **All of you**_ _."_

And now, Jace had failed his King. The mission would never be accomplished and it was all his fault.

If he had listened to his King and taken more consideration and care for the non-soldiers' opinions, Jace would never had been in this position. Magnus Bane warned him several times that they were going the wrong way, and that they should head North. But Jace refused to pay attention to his wise words because Magnus Bane wasn't a soldier to begin with. He was one of the men imposed by the King, and despite his best efforts to not make any difference between his soldiers and the additional men, Jace still had a hard time accepting the newest members of his unit.

He had to say that none of the ten men was doing anything to try to blend in with the soldiers. They were always staying among themselves, and only mingled when they had no other choice. It seemed that Magnus Bane was the authority figure among them, which Jace could understand. Ever since Magnus arrived from his foreign country far East, he had been one of the closest Council member to the Morgenstern sovereign. So it seemed only fitting that he was now the high figure for those men that the King had imposed to Jace. Especially since Magnus seemed to make it his life goal to remind him that they were two different kind of men.

Suddenly, someone slapped him hard and strong, swiftly bringing their hand to his mouth to prevent him from making any noise. Jace opened his eyes widely -realizing that he had dozed off- and gasping loudly, though the sound of his voice was muffled by the hand on his mouth. Jace squinted, trying to see through the darkness and musty air of his cell; and he saw one of the men of his squad staring at him, silently pleading with him to keep silent.

Finally, Jace managed to discern the form of the soldier, and with slight disappointment, he saw that his rescuer was one of his King's men. He was actually the man that Jace could stand the least. He couldn't really say why, but Jace always felt uneasy around this particular man. _The Mute_. Jace didn't even know his real name. They all just called him that because of his obvious condition.

The Mute was the smallest man of Jace's unit. He was so small that Jace thought that the King burdened him with a child when he first saw him, wondering if the boy had even hit puberty. Not that he could really say since he actually never saw the face of the young boy. The mute always had a dirty face (which wasn't surprising for a travelling army man), and a scarf over his throat and mouth, and a hood covering his hair and the upper part of his face. No-one ever questioned it because they mainly assumed that he was hiding an ugly scar on his throat behind his scarf.

And still, despite the fact that he was doing his best to always go unnoticed, Jace was always very much aware of this particular man whenever they had to spend time together. Jace couldn't really tell why, he just felt uncomfortable around him. Maybe it was because of the way the mute would sometimes look directly into his eyes, his bright green eyes clearly looking right through his soul. Or maybe it was because of this aura of déjà-vu that surrounded the mute.

And to be honest, Jace had been slightly annoyed by this particular man. The fact that he couldn't talk to him was rather unnerving because he couldn't tell what the man was thinking. But that was nothing compared to the fact that Jace couldn't look over the height (or lack of it) of this man. He wasn't army material, not even farm material. It was more than him being too small, it was that he was also rather skinny. It seemed like a brisk wind could make him fly. And as for a matter of weapons, Jace couldn't even say if he was really worth it. Sure, he knew how to handle a blade, but since no-one really wanted to pick on the small mute, Jace never actually saw him fight. Though, Jace had to admit that the kid was impressive with his bow.

"How did you get here?" Jace asked, knowing that it was useless for he would have no real answer from him.

The Mute silently pointed the window of the keep, and Jace followed the direction. He narrowed his eyes when he understood what the small soldier was telling him, not quite believing it. Despite the fact that the window was too high to have been climbed to, there were also bars on the window, made to prevent anyone to pass through. With his brows raised, Jace looked back at the Mute, and he had to admit that the man was skinny enough to pass through the bars. It had probably been rather painful and unpleasant.

Carefully, the Mute walked to Jace, not making a single noise; and then he gently knelt to the General taking his hands in his so he could pick the lock of the manacles on his wrists. As soon as his hands were free, Jace massaged his wrists with a relieved sigh, a part of his mind telling him that even the Mute's fingers were not fit for the military life. They were too delicate. And still the Mute rested a firm and strong hand on Jace's chest when he tried to get up. Clearly he gestured to Jace to stay put before walking to the window and swinging his sword out of the window, cutting down a cord.

Jace watched the young boy tilt his head up to stare at the dark sky, as if he was waiting for something. Then, the Mute walked back to Jace and reached for his belt in order to give the General a gourd of water. Jace greedily drank the life-giving liquid gratefully; and suddenly, a wolf howled in he night. The soldier snapped his head to the bared window before taking the gourd away from Jace's hands. He gestured to his Superior to remain silent and still, disappearing into the shadows of the cell, right beside the door, so well hidden that Jace had to squint to distinguish his form.

A long minute passed by with nothing happening, and just when Jace was about to tell the Mute that nothing was happening and that they should try to escape instead of staying like sitting ducks, the door of his cell opened, revealing the guard that came daily in order to taunt Jace before giving him his portion of food. But before he could make any step toward Jace, his vicious smirk still plastered on his face, the Mute jumped on the guard's life and sliced the throat of Jace's jailer, his small hand on the big man's mouth to muffle his scream.

Jace watched the mercenary open his eyes widely with surprise, feeling his life speeding away from him as the Mute waited mercilessly for the man to drop dead. Which took two long minutes. Once the guard finally fell limp on the floor, lifeless, the Mute straightened up, his eyes not moving from the man he had just killed, making Jace wonder if this was his first kill.

Jace got up, snapping the Mute away from any thoughts he was having, and the young boy slightly shook his head before walking back to the window where Jace saw a package that had never been there before. The young boy removed the cloth covering whatever he was hiding and gave it to Jace before putting on his bow and arrow. Jace looked at the Mute for a sparse second, always taken aback by the way he was holding his bow and arrows. Instead of putting his arrows in his quiver on his back, the small soldier always had them hanging on his right side.

With a tap on his arm, the Mute signaled to Jace to look at the floor, and the General took the sword that was laying there before following the soldier out of the cell. He noticed how the Mute glanced one last time to the dead guard on the floor as they exited the room, but didn't comment on it. What was the point of talking to someone who could't talk back?

As they silently walked through the keep - Jace following the Mute - he paid more attention to the young boy than he ever did. He wasn't wearing the equipment that Jace had imposed the ten King's men, but the same outfit that he was wearing when they met. Something that Jace didn't like because it didn't have any protection, though the young boy seemed lighter and more aware of his movements. They walked down the stairs, Jace comparing the Mute silent pace to a cat's, when they met face to face with a wandering guard. Swift as lightening, the Mute drew his arrow and planted it in the mercenary's throat before he could do or say anything. Then, he ran toward the guard, and hissed when the lawless man fell on the floor before he could reach him, making a loud clash as his armour kissed the cold stones of the keep.

Jace readied his sword, knowing that this sound would draw the other guards, and the mute unexpectedly got on his knees, fidgeting for something under his cape. Jace tried to make him get up so he could get ready to fight, but the soldier waved him off, signifying him to run first. Jace stubbornly stayed put, refusing to leave one of his men behind -especially a man who was risking his life to save him- and suddenly, a fire grew between the hands of the Mute.

The soldier helped the fire run wild in the corridor, before taking Jace by the arm and making him run in the opposite direction, right toward a window. Jace warily watched the window getting closer and closer, and at the last second, the Mute violently pushed him through it. With pleasant surprise, Jace fell on a large amount of straw and he had to roll at the last second as the Mute landed next to him in a more graceful crouch. Before Jace could even think of where they were in the keep, the young lad yanked his arm and ushered him towards one of the exit doors, but they were stopped by an arrow shot at them. The Mute curved his bow and spun at the last second to shoot an archer on the roof, taking half a second to aim. He was already aiming at another one when Jace spotted a door that could lead to somewhere safer than the open, and so he pulled them both through it.

Once they were both sheltered from enemy arrows, Jace tried to catch his breath, looking at the soldier who was himself peeping through the porthole. He seemed worried about something, and Jace could tell about what. They could hear orders being shouted out throughout the whole keep about finding him and bringing him back to his cell, no matter what.

"You should have gone through with the mission and left me behind," Jace hissed with frustration. But the Mute ignored him and determinedly walked toward the ascending stairs. Jace caught up with him informing the young man: "The way out is outside, not up."

The Mute shook his head and pointed up before showing the few arrows he had left. Jace was about to retort that he was still his General and that he knew better, when a squad of guards surprised them. Jace steadied his sword in his hand and fought off the first guard on his reach while the Mute was backing off. He seemed about to shoot arrows when he thought better of it, and put down his bow to draw two sabres, running by Jace's side.

They both fought side by side, Jace swiftly recovering a second sword to fight off the guards, though he had to admit, his month of detention had weakened him. He was slow and rather gauche, and he hated it. Still, little by little the number of foes diminished to the point that there were only two more guards left. And just as Jace planted his sword in his enemy's stomach, he saw the Mute being thrown against the cold and stoned wall. Air escaped the young boy's lungs, making him cry out with pain, and coercing Jace's head to turn suddenly and his attention to be diverted to that person who had almost saved him and aided his escapade.

 _The Mute_ was not supposed to make any noise, no matter what. And he was not supposed to make a sound like _that_. With horror, Jace and the remaining mercenary watched 'the Mute' get up, his hood and scarf having fall off. For a second, both Jace and the mercenary stared at the person in front of them, shock striking them; but Jace was the first one to recover and he killed the lawless man, barely looking away from the person that just had been thrown against a wall.

And finally, Jace found his voice to state the obvious: " _You're a girl!_ "

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **‼️** **READ THE NOTE BELLOW‼️**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ So, first of all, yes, Lucian Graymark and Luke Garroway are TWO DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. They are not related in any way whatsoever.**

 **~ Now, that being said, I hope that you are ready for a cool war story, with action and romance in it, because** **yeah ... I love romance, in case you didn't notice.**

 **~ And, now, question time:**

 **` 1. What do you think Jace will do about this reveal?**

 **` 2. What did you think of the Mute?**

 **` 3. Do you think they will be able to escape the** **mercenaries?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Kiss💋 Kiss💋 Bang🔫 Bang🔫**


	2. 1 - Decisions

**My dear little broccolis💚💚💚**

 **~ I know many of you thought that I had completely forgotten about this story, but I** **didn't. I just had a lot of bad luck with this story. I had written this** **chapter a couple of months ago, and just with a little synchronisation, well, the chapter was all one and replaced with the next. It was very annoying. Anyway, It took me time to rewrite this chapter and I hope you will like it.**

 **~ Now, like I said, this story is worth reading all over again, because like Road Trippin', there are many things that I will change or make better than the first version you had.**

 **~ Also, for the new readers joining us on this ride, know that there will be flashbacks every chapters, and that those flashbacks are as important as the present time. They make the story, and they help with the depth of the characters. Anyway, I hope that you will enjoy this chapter 2, and promise I won't take that long with chapter 3.**

 **Love💚💚💚**

 **.**

 **Chapter 2** **: Decisions (8,0K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **General Jace Wayland, protégé of King Valentine.**

 **.**

Jace watched the scene with horror at the treason standing before him, still speechless about his discovery. The girl swiftly replaced the hood over her dark red hair and covered her mouth once again with her scarf before bending to pick up her sabre from the floor, as if nothing had happened. With all the will he could muster, Jace swallowed back his anger to have been fooled. It wasn't the time or the place to start ranting about an insubordinate girl who broke the law and the traditions.

With the agility of a cat, the girl leaped over the corpses now lying on the floor, and took Jace by the arm to lead him upstairs, when Jace finally snapped out of his stupor and recovered. He couldn't act like he just did, both their lives were in danger, and they had a keep to escape. Still, he pointed the obvious with a rising temper: "In case you didn't get it the first time I told you that, the way out is outside, not upstairs."

The girl sighed exasperatedly, clearly annoyed with Jace's attitude, and pulled on his arm a little bit stronger, forcing Jace to move where she wanted him to go. Jace reluctantly followed her as she led him up the tower. Once at the top of the stairs, Jace understood what drew the girl in this particular direction. They were in the weapons room. The girl closed the doors behind her as Jace walked to the window to glance at what was happening in the courtyard.

He saw mercenaries running all over the place, many of them gathering at the entrance of the tower where the girl and him were trapped in. Torches were lit all over the keep while he could hear diverse orders thrown around. A frown darkening his face, Jace looked at the wall surrounding the keep, too high to be climbed without equipment, and too far from the tower to be used as a means of escape; and with annoyance, he turned to the girl.

She was filling her quiver with arrows; and when Jace walked to her to confront her about her gender, she withdrew a rope from under her cloak and took a crossbow from the arsenal in display in the room before walking to the window. Jace watched her as she armed her weapon, noticing that she had tied the rope to the end of the heavy arrow that she was about to shoot; and when she did, he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him.

"You're a girl," He repeated himself, pointing out the obvious once again.

The girl rolled her eyes, trying to reclaim possession of her arm, but Jace tightened his grip on her, reaching for her face to unveil her disguise and see from up-close how much he had been fooled by this traitorous girl. She glared at him, stepping out of his grip with a brusque move to free her arm before he could undo her scarf or her hood.

Then, she walked to the window, retrieving a mirror from her cloak and playing with the reflexion of the moon. Jace refrained himself from yelling at her, and clenched his jaw, checking the weapons and picking the ones that he knew would be useful in a fight, his eyes going several times toward the door.

Once he was properly armed, Jace walked back to the window to see what the girl had been up to, his eyes avoiding hers on purpose; and he saw that the rope she had attached to her arrow was her escape plan. The arrow apparently planted her way on the other side of the wall, because they could let themselves slide on it and pass through the wall of the keep. With a little frown, Jace tested the strength of the cord before glancing at the courtyard once again; and then he stated:

"The cord can't hold us both. It will break and we'll be food for the dogs...more like for the soldiers"

"I know," She said, her voice muffled by the presence of the scarf over her mouth. But still, Jace understood why she pretended to be mute during all those months. Her voice was gentle and delicate, like a summer chiming tremors of her voice were undoubtedly feminine. No one could doubt her gender after hearing her voice.

Jace looked down the courtyard once again, before snapping: "So now, you decide to talk." She didn't reply, taking a handkerchief out of a pocket from her trousers and passing it through the rope. Then, she handed it to Jace who took it as a reflex, before repeating with insistence:

"The cord can't hold us both. You go first."

The girl huffed, removing her scarf with annoyance. "You are a _General_. Your men need you. I will be right behind you."

"Like this is going to happen. I am not —"

" _Yes you are_. You are heavier than me, and you will down the cord. If I go before you and change the stability of the cord, you could fall in the middle of the keep. This won't happen to me if I go after you."

Jace was about to argue, when a loud bang echoed behind them, indicating that the mercenaries were trying to get in the room. The girl drew her sabres, positioning herself in a defensive posture as she pressed Jace: "Now, General! We're loosing time!"

For the fraction of a second, he hesitated before the girl glared at him, replacing her scarf on her mouth; and so he jumped, letting himself slide down the rope. The wind lashed against his skin, echoing in his ears in a piercing shriek, but Jace kept his eyes open, letting go of his hold on the cord as soon as he passed the wall. Since he was still rather high from the ground, he fell rather hard on it, rolling a few times before swiftly getting up and looking anxiously at the window that he just left to see the girl slide herself.

Still out of breath, he rested his hands on his knees, when he suddenly heard a noise behind him, making him draw the sword he had gained earlier and turn to the intruder. But instead of mercenaries, he saw his Lieutenant and Magnus Bane getting off of their horses.

Jace had named Alexander Lightwood his Lieutenant, first out of respect. He was his senior by two years, and had started to train for the army life long before him. But still, the General Graymark had estimated that Jace was more worthy of the title of general and gave him the badge. Still, Jace did not forget the person with whom he learned to wrestle, handle a sword or fire arrows. He did not forget that, though he never fancied himself as a friendly person, Alexander had always been there for him. As a friendly adviser as much as a shoulder to rely on during his rare moment of doubts when he couldn't see the King for consultation. So to Jace, the two men were brothers in arms. It was more than a saying for him, it was a truth of his heart.

Alexander was slightly shorter than Jace, though being older; and he was less imposing in the matter of stature. But the fact that he was leaner gave him more agility than Jace ever had. Jace always thought that the lean musculature of his Lieutenant was due to his specialisation in archery. Never in his life, he had seen an archer who was buffed, and Alexander was just another proof of that. He had dark raven hair, that could almost be mistaken as navy blue during a bright sunny day, and the darkness of his hair would make his blue eyes appear even more piercing than they already were.

Magnus Bane who was beside him was nothing of the sort, physically, or in Jace's heart. Jace never liked Magnus Bane, ever since he had to tolerate him in this journey. It had nothing to do with the fact that Magnus Bane was a foreigner that came from the country of silk and spices. Jace never actually lingered on that fact, and even thought that it was a strength for the foreigner for he had knowledge that no one would ever have. It was more due to the fact that Magnus Bane was a politician, and that Jace felt that he had no place among his men.

The man with an olive skin and almond shaped dark eyes was from the Council of the King Morgenstern, and had been ever since he came in their country. Jace never saw him with a sword in hand, or a bow, or even a dagger. Sure, during the little sessions Jace organised throughout their journey he took notice that the man could defend himself; but Jace wouldn't trust his life, or any of his soldier's life in the foreigner's hands.

And there was also the fact that Magnus Bane always subtly reminded Jace of his place and his status- That Jace was only a General with little strategic knowledge in the art of Politics. Jace knew that this was his own fault. He knew that he should have paid more attention to the King's lessons about the politics of the different realms; but he had only wanted to go to war and execute orders, not think of the 'how's and 'why's behind those orders. Still, every time Magnus Bane had talked directly to Jace, it had seemed to Jace that the politician truly despised him as though he had done him a personal wrong.

The Lieutenant Lightwood was the first to break Jace out of his thoughts, getting down from his horse and swiftly wrapping a cloak around Jace's shoulders.

"Are you alright General?" He asked concernedly.

Jace tightened the cloak around him, tying a knot around his neck before standing straight and saying, still a little out of breath: "Yes. The Mute shouldn't be le—"

He stopped himself when he saw with helplessness the cord that was hanging from the window, fall limp from the tower. Jace stood frozen the whole time the rope was falling, his heart beating so fast as the realisation of the fact that he left a soldier behind. He was torn out of his stupor when Magnus Bane screamed: "NO!" his voice full of desperation and anguish.

Alexander left Jace's side to go to the foreigner politician and restrain him from going any further.

"Let me go, Lightwood!" Bane growled between his teeth, trying to go to the keep while the Lieutenant was doing his best to calm the politician; and though Jace had never given much credit to the politician, he had to admit that Magnus Bane was putting up quite a struggle, almost besting Alexander.

"Don't worry about the Mute, Bane. He will find a way to us."

" _He's all alone in there_!" Magnus Bane cried out, his almond dark eyes steady on the keep, worry and anxiety clear on his face.

Jace never really lingered on that fact, but now that he was facing the politician's distress at the thought of losing the Mute, it occurred to him that Magnus Bane knew the true nature of the girl. Jace couldn't tell how this realisation came to him, but he was sure of the fact that Magnus Bane knew that the Mute was a girl. Maybe it was because they had always been seen together, or because to the eyes of the squad, they were sharing a tent. Or probably because Jace could see in Magnus Bane's cat eyes the same fear that was coiling in his stomach. _What would happen to the girl if she were caught_? Death was a fate far more kind than what mercenaries could do to her if they learned of her true gender.

Slowly, Alexander let go of Magnus Bane, his hand still on the foreigner's chest as a precaution. "Go get the men waiting at the East door and get them to camp. I will wait here with the General for the Mute," He said with a commanding voice. Jace watched the two men silently argue with one another, before Magnus shook his head with disobedience as he snapped:

"What if the Mute goes to the East door?"

"You know as well as I do that he won't go anywhere you are not supposed to be," Alexander reasoned, and Jace immediately understood by the tone the two men used, that lot of things had happened between the two of them during his month of captivity. There were undertones that he did not understand, though they seemed clear for the two men; and Jace knew for a fact that the politician and the soldier did not exchange more than ten words before he got captured.

"Then I'm staying until he comes out," Magnus Bane stubbornly said defying the Lieutenant to command him otherwise.

Alexander heaved, before proudly straightening up, and ordering: "No. You are going to do as said and go back to camp. With all due respect, I am a better swordsman than you, and if it is needed, I will make sure that he comes back safe and sound to camp."

Magnus Bane seemed still a little bit hesitant, and so the Lieutenant assured: "You have my word that I will bring him to camp. Just go back there and wait for him."

"I'm staying."

"No. I need someone to instruct the troops and reassure them. This is why you will go to the East door, take Kyle with you and go back to camp. _You_ will tell the men that we are moving camp tomorrow first thing in the morning."

Bane bit on his lower lip, obviously not happy with this direct order that he had been given; before he glanced in Jace's direction, his eyes saying things that Jace did not understand. "Wayland should do it. It is wiser and safer to _at least_ get him back to camp."

Alexander also glanced in Jace's direction, thinking through for a moment of what Bane just said; but then, he strongly stated, his brows knotted with impartiality: "The General cannot go back to camp with men still breathing behind, we all know that."

Jace wondered if Alexander was implicitly accusing him on leaving behind a soldier when he had been supposed to be the last one to leave the keep, but he did not have time to really dwell on that as Magnus Bane finally listened to his Lieutenant and went back to his horse. Jace did not say a single word, not intervening in the men's little argument, for his mind was still racing toward the girl that he left in the keep.

He could still hear mercenaries yelling indistinguishable orders in the keep, which led Jace to conclude that the girl was still roaming free in the keep, avoiding capture by some miracle. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Alexander climb on his horse, the leash of the spare horse firmly in his hand as his blue eyes were scrutinising the keep.

"What did Bane meant by saying that it was wiser to send me back to camp?"

Though the Lieutenant did not look at Jace, Jace could tell by the way he froze on his horse that he did not like the question. Apparently, Jace spot something in their conversation that he was not supposed to get.

Jace was about to demand an answer, when Alexander said with logic: "He's a politician, and you are the person that the King loves like his own son. He is not the only one fearing for his head if we come home back without you."

Jace nodded, accepting this answer for the moment, even if he could tell that the Lieutenant had more to say on the matter, but was apparently not willing to share his thoughts with Jace. The two men remained silent for a few minutes, both of them staring with intensity at the keep for any sign of the Mute.

But after ten long minutes during which they could only hope for the young soldier to come back to them, the Lieutenant informed his General of what happened since his capture:

"We made camp a few hours ride North from here. Your capture may have taken us closer to the Garroway kingdom that the road you intended to take, according to Bane. The attack did not have a real impact on us, and to be honest, I think you were the target. It is not usual mercenary behaviour to only take one prisoner, and leave an army behind, no matter how small the army is. Except from you, no-one is missing, and we just have a couple of injuries among the troop that have been taken care of by Bane. Turns out, he can heal as well. The only real casualty is the loss of horses. We lost a good dozen of them."

"What about the food?" Jace questioned, a part of his mind still on the keep while another part was already thinking again like a General with lives relying on him.

"We are based next to what appears to be a small wood. There is a river and there is game. We mostly live day to day since we planed your rescue as soon as I was sure that everyone was okay," Alexander explained, and Jace finally looked away from the keep to glare at his Lieutenant, not understanding why he risked the mission, and men to rescue him.

"Why didn't you carry on with the mission? With my demise, you should have taken the lead and carried on with the mission that was assigned to us instead of losing time with rescuing me."

"And what is the mission exactly, General? You asked for your best men to follow to foe territory, and we did. But none of your men actually knew what the mission entrusted to you was. We all blindly followed you, with no idea of what was to come. We are too little to actually start a war, and too many to be peace emissaries.

So what was I supposed to do? Go on and get our men killed for I had no idea what to do in the beginning? Go back home and explain to our King that the man he loves like his own child has been left behind at the mercy of mercenaries?"

Jace looked back at the keep, and had to concede that Alexander was right. He never told anyone about his plans concerning King Luke. But that wasn't because he didn't trust his men. It had more to do with the fact that he didn't know what to do with the task King Valentine had given him. He did not know if he was sent to kill the foe or to spare him, though he trained his troop as if they were going to war.

"What about Bane?" Jace retorted, knowing that the foreigner had the King's trust and that Bane probably knew of the King's plans concerning the Garroway kingdom.

"Bane is a politician, not a soldier," Alexander dismissed before he added: "Besides, … he insisted on your return."

"Bane could not care less if I live or die."

"Like I said, he is a politician. He has his reasons for wanting a general alive, and I did not question him. He is the closest Council member to the King, so if he says that you are to live and get back to the Kingdom, I listen and do as told."

Jace turned his head to stare at his lieutenant, stunned by his statement; and then he wisely told him: "You should never take orders from someone who only has his life to fear for."

Alexander was about to report something, when a flamed arrow flew high in the sky, piercing the darkness of the night. The Lieutenant frowned a little, before making a noise with his tongue and directing the horses West as he said: "We should move West, the Mute is waiting for us there."

"How do you know?"

"The Mute is more resourceful than you gave him credit for. After all, he did break you out of that keep," Alexander explained, and something in his tone made Jace doubt his Lieutenant.

"How?"

"He posed as a civilian for a week to see how the keep was ran. Then he explained to Bane what would be the best way to make you escape, though something must have happened there, because it was supposed to be a discreet mission. He climbed the tower you were in with the heads of two arrows and the agility of a squirrel. I guess that now, you are glad to have been weighed with someone that small."

"How could the Mute teak anything to Bane?" Jace asked, more interested on finding out if his Lieutenant was actually aware of the Mute true nature, or was still duped by the trickery of the little girl.

"I didn't say 'tell'. Like you probably understood with the conversation I just had with Bane, him and the Mute have a really deep relationship. Communicating in ways that we don't understand is probably one of the many skills he taught the Mute."

Jace was slightly reassured by this explanation, though there was something about the way Alexander talked about the Mute that made him tick. The very few times the two soldiers talked about the smaller one, Alexander had been rather neutral; and now he was subtly taking the defence of the little one.

But he did not have a lot of time to think about any of that, as someone appeared from nowhere in front of them. The two soldiers reached for their swords as a reflex, but they relaxed when they realised that it was only the Mute in front of them.

Jace let his eyes travel on her, trying to see through the disguise, but he only saw the small and frail Mute that he always saw. She had her scarf and hood well placed on her face, though it was obvious that she was out of breath, and her green eyes went to the Lieutenant, clearly saying something through them that Jace did not understand.

Then, the girl hopped on her horse, and Alexander said that they should head back to camp; but she raised her hand in the air, and fisted it to indicate them so stay still. They waited for a couple of minutes, until Jace lost his patience and directed his horse toward hers, ready to order her back to camp.

But he was interrupted by a deafening blast coming from the keep. The explosion frightened the horses, as well as the two officers, while the girl kept her own horse steady, looking at the destruction that was displaying before them as the three of them were hearing screams of anguish from where the keep used to be.

Jace turned his head to the girl, wondering where she managed to get the powder that turned into fire. That was a very rare weapon, and from what Jace had heard of it, it was very difficult and dangerous to work with it.

"We should go. Camp is still rather far," Alexander said, and Jace simply nodded, directing his horse in the same direction where the Lieutenant was going.

The three of them rode full speed for a good part of the night and arrived to camp around the time the sun rose in the sky. The men barely gave them time to get down of their horses, cheering for their General and happy to see him alive and well.

Jace smiled without really meaning it, as he started walking toward his tent that had been erected even though he wasn't there. From the corner of his eye, he looked for Bane, and when he realised that the politician was nowhere in sight, he wrapped a demanding hand around the arm of the girl, silently letting her know that he was not letting her go so easily.

Lightwood followed them inside the tent, but Jace did not even bother turning to order him: "Leave us."

He waited for the soldier to leave, but still caught the way Alexander looked at the girl that was still under his grip. For a second, Jace thought that his Lieutenant was about to disobey the direct order that he just gave him; but Lightwood left without a word.

Jace waited for the tent to be completely closed to finally stare down at the girl bright green eyes, waiting for her to try and plead her case. But when it became obvious that she was not going to say a single word, Jace let go of her arm so he could remove her hood and scarf. She made a slight movement to try and stop him, but he still did it anyway, taking her chin between his fingers so he could really look at her face.

Now that he was seeing her under the light of the lanterns in his tent, he could see how feminine her face was. It was small and delicate, making it impossible for her to even pass for androgyne. Her eyes were the first thing that you would see on her face. Not so much because of their colour, but because they were so big on her petite face. She had a small nose as well, and full pink lips. Even though there was a lot of dirt on her face, Jace could tell that she had a pale complexion. But none of that was what he really lingered on. His first question when he saw her face was, how old was she? She was young. She seemed so young, that Jace wondered if she would even pass the age limit that was imposed on his soldiers: Sixteen.

And yet, her green eyes seemed to be older than the rest of her face. Just the way she was looking at him at this instant was sufficient to make him feel uneasy, and even inferior. He let go of her, knowing that this emotion he just experienced was mainly why he never liked the Mute; and he started pacing in his tent, wondering what he was going to do about this.

Women weren't allowed in armies. This was a law common to all the kingdoms he'd been in. Women had no place in the schemes of war. There were even laws to prevent that. Laws that would result with the girl hanging on a tree by the neck for treachery. And still, knowing that, knowing that she could be sentenced to die like a common criminal, she risked her life to save his. This invoked an odd feeling of respect and gratitude in him.

"What is you name?" He asked, placing his hands behind his back and looking past the girl so he could avoid her troubling eyes. He knew that he was just trying to buy himself some time, but when she stubbornly remained silent, he snapped, finally letting out his anger to have been fooled like an idiot by this little girl:

" _Who_ do you think you are to trespass rules like that?! You are not meant to be here! Your condition slowed us down because you are not meant to be here! You are two weak to wear an armour or even handle a sword properly! You are too small to carry any injured in case of battle! You would be the first target because you appear sickly in the eyes of the enemy! What took you to pass as a boy and enrol for a battle that isn't yours to fight!? _You're place is not in this troop!_ "

The girl didn't utter a single word, infuriating Jace even more. He was ready to hear anything she would want to say to save her life. Any excuse would have done it, but she was not even trying. All she was doing was biting her lower lip and retaining her tears from falling. And that's when Jace saw a trickle of blood on her chin.

He frowned a little, wondering where that could have come from; and when he reached to wipe it out, he saw that his own hand was covered in blood. He knew that it wasn't his, and so he glanced at the girl's arm that he grabbed seeing a wound that wasn't there when they were in the tower.

The wound didn't seem to be very deep, but it was bad enough to gush blood out of it. And still, the girl did not utter a word or a wince when he grabbed her arm to take her to his tent. She had still done her best to not show any sign of hurt.

With a loud sigh, Jace passed his other hand in his hair, and said with less anger said: "I will send you back to the Kingdom with two of the men who came with you. A life for life. You saved my life, and for that, I will not report you. But I will not keep you here, either. You leave as soon as we leave camp."

Jace was not even surprised when the girl remained silent, but he still saw the death glare that she gave him. She was not happy with what he just said, this was clear in her eyes, though her face was still blank, and her eyes swiftly became blank as well. This was the only time he actually saw an emotion out of her, and it was out of place. He was sparing her life, and she was hating him for it. Where was the logic?

Jace heaved another sigh, once again, and was about to ask to see her wound, when Bane unceremoniously entered his tent, making his way toward the girl and taking her in his arms as Alexander entered shortly after.

Bane lovingly kissed the girl's hair before he delicately took her face between his hands and asked: "How are you doing, Angel? Are you hurt?"

"He wants to send me back," was all she said, comforting Jace in his idea that even her voice would sell her out as a girl.

Bane snapped his head to Jace, and glared at him while Jace was looking at Alexander, seeing no astonishment whatsoever in his eyes to the fact that a girl was in his tent. Jace had known that Bane would have known, it was obvious in the way he acted back at the keep; but Alexander … knew that there was a woman in the ranks, and did not kill her or send her back to where she was supposed to be.

"Your orders are to keep us in your troops, General. Ten men were to accompany you to the Garroway kingdom, no more, no less. You have no authority upon this order," Bane said, his voice as commending as it was imposing.

Jace looked away from his Lieutenant pointing out the obvious: "I did not leave with ten men."

"The Mute is a soldier like any other. _He_ rescued you from that keep. Without _him_ , you would still be rotting there! Make him leave, and I will make sure that you will regret it all your life."

"Is that a threat, Bane?" Jace asked, raising his voice a little stronger; and this seemed to be what Alexander was waiting for to intervene. He walked between the two men, and separated the girl from Bane with gentleness as he said, replacing her scarf and hood:

"We cannot send anyone away. Like Bane said, the orders were ten men, and if you can't justify your action, the soldiers will start asking questions. No one but the four of us know that the Mute is a girl. Let's keep it that way." Jace was about to retort something, when Alexander cut him off and went on: "You weren't here for a month, General. You didn't live on camp with her for a month. The Mute healed several of your soldiers, including Kyle and myself. And every soldier of your troop saw the Mute use a bow at his full potential. You will appear as mad if you send away the best archer we have."

Jace saw how the girl rested a hand on Alexander's shoulder, silently telling him something, but he had to concede that his Lieutenant was right. Strategically speaking, he could not let her go without revealing her true nature. If she was a good enough archer to impress Alexander, his soldiers would expect the Mute to stay with them, because a good archer was always good to have alongside during a battle.

With a small nod, he allowed the girl and the foreigner to leave, and once he was alone with his Lieutenant, and stated the truth:

"You know her."

"I do," The Lieutenant confessed, though he didn't seem ashamed of not having followed protocol.

"Is that why you didn't apply the law when you found out?"

"Partly. I've only known for a few weeks. She's actually the one who came to me, and revealed herself, because she had a plan to get you back. That is how dedicated she is. She risked unveiling herself just to get you out of that keep. Isn't it what you asked of your soldiers? To be ready to die for you?"

"I don't ask them to die for me. I ask them to die for their kingdom," Jace corrected, because he would never ask someone to die for him. It was their whole kingdom that they were fighting for, not just one man.

"And that's what she did. She risked her life for her kingdom. Ask her why she is here, and you will find out that she has the exact same reasons as you. If you're conflicted because of the law, I'd understand. But … if you're conflicted because she is a girl … _she_ will have my support, not you."

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 _Jace had been staying in the cold current of the river for almost an hour, doing his best to forget all about Emma, the baker_ _'s daughter. He had had a sort of relationship with her for the past couple of months, but learnt a week ago that she was only interested in him because of his_ _relationship with the King- Which angered Jace. He actually felt something for the girl, and she only talked to him because the King treated him_ _like family._

 _Honestly, Jace was feeling rather betrayed by this turn of events. He liked spending time with Emma, he liked being intimate with her, and he used to like thinking that it was reciprocated. But he had been clearly mistaken._

 _Perhaps this was why he actually asked General Graymark to assign him to the next ship leaving so he could be of use in the royal Navy. Just so he would not have to see Emma again. Kaelie, the girl working in the kitchen's barracks said that it was a stupid idea, but it was the only one he had in mind. He just had to find the courage to tell his King and benefactor of his decision._

 _As he was deeply lost into his thoughts, a branch cracked behind him, making him turn his head to see who was disturbing him in his moment of solitude, only to see that it was the King. Quickly, Jace got up and wrapped a drying cloth around his waist, while the King walked to the nearest tree and sat on the ground under its shade._

 _After making himself decent with what he had, Jace walked to King Valentine and stood there, until the King heaved a tired, annoyed sigh and signaled for Jace to join him on the floor. Under the King's benevolent smile, Jace sat next to him, knowing that the King never really appreciated when Jace treated him like royalty he was instead of treating him like a friend. But Jace never managed to forgo the fact that his benefactor was a King._

 _When Jace sat, the King said with a little teasing voice: "If you were living with me, you would be taking hot bath, instead of having to go to this cold and secluded river."_

 _"I like taking cold baths. And I do not mind the loneliness, your Majesty."_

 _The King shook his head as he asked: "How many times will I have to tell you that you should treat me as a friend, Jace."_

 _Jace smiled a little, apologising through his smile but both of them knew that Jace would endlessly keep waiting on his King with the regards that his rank was imposing._ _For a little while, the two men let silence grow between them, not very bothered by it as they could actually enjoy each other's presence without having to talk._

 _It had been almost five years since King Valentine took Jace under his care, and place him in the barracks with General Graymark to form him as a military man. On several occasions, the King tried to convince Jace to come live with him at the Palace, but Jace refused each time. He knew where his place belonged, and it wasn't in the Palace, no matter how much the King treated him like a son._

 _The King didn't only made sure that Jace would be militarily gained, he also sent to the barracks Masters to teach him how to read and calculate. And he came down weekly to teach him about the different politics of the different Kingdoms, though this was Jace's least favourite topic. Still, this scholar's visit had nothing to do with the other weekly visits that the King would pay to Jace, where they would only talk about the tribulations of life from one person to another._

 _Those moments were Jace's favourite times of the week. When he would simply spend a little time with the King, and secretly allow himself to think that the King was his father. There were rumours, but Jace never paid attention to them, only taking the King's words for truth. They never actually broached the topic, but Jace decided that the King would have told him if those rumours were true._

 _During those little private moments, the King gifted Jace with many presents that Jace cherished every night. His first sword, his first bow, his first book. There was not a thing that the King would give him that Jace would disregard. He knew that because the King was fond of him, he was slightly priviliged compared to the other boys living in the barracks, but he also knew that this privilege was only material because the General Graymark would never let anyone change his method of training to favour someone in particular. Even if it was at the King's request._

 _Contrary to the times that Jace and the King would be together, Jace did not ask about the life back at the Palace. He knew that times were dark at the Palace, and that the King probably did not want to talk about the Death threat flying over his household. Kaelie told Jace that people from the Palace kitchen were saying that life was escaping the Palace, and that the King hadn't eaten in two weeks. And Jace was seeing with his own eyes that it was true._

 _Though the King could never go to war again because of an old wound, he still trained as such with the General Graymark which left him a healthy man, with an imposing physique. But on that particular day, Jace could see that the King had lost weight, and that his eyes were haunted with fear_

 _"I heard that you applied to join the Navy," The King gently said, tearing Jace away from his thoughts, and making him turn to look at the sovereign. "Are you unhappy here?"_

 _"I'm actually trying to flee from someone," Jace explained. though the idea of lying to his benefactor was ridiculous to Jace, he also knew that he could trust the King with everything that was happening in his life._

 _The King kindly smiled, his brown eyes sparkling with sudden amusement and wiseness as he sated: "Ah! So, there is a girl behind all of this. There always is … Girls are meant to be our doom, and yet, we would do anything for them. Because it is in our nature to make them happy."_

 _Jace looked upon his King with disbelief, having problem understanding how could one would want to make someone happy, if that person was destined to be their doom. It was not making any sense to Jace, and the King seemed to understand this, because he gently shook his head, and explained further:_

 _"You will understand when you meet the girl who makes your heart stop every time you look at her."_

 _Those words made Jace frown even more, clearly lost in the riddles that the monarch was speaking in, and the King laughed, saying that Jace was barely fifteen and that he still had a lifetime ahead of him to understand what he was talking about._

 _Then, the King looked at Jace with seriousness, hesitation in his eyes, though he still said: "Jace … I would like it very much if you stayed here. Despite your young age, I have an absolute and blind trust in you. And if things keep on worsening back at the Palace …" He stopped, but correcting himself: "No, no matter what, I will need someone trustworthy beside me. And I would like for that person to be you."  
_

To this date, Jace did not know what the King had meant on that particular day under the tree; but that didn't stop him from staying beside his monarch, because it was his rightful place.

And now, because of that little girl who had decided to play dress up like a boy, Jace was doubting the blind trust that his King always put in him. Because there had been one question that had been haunting him ever since he discovered the identity of the girl. Was the King aware of her presence among the ten men he had imposed Jace? Did the King intentionally withhold this important information from Jace?

With a heave, Jace left his tent avoiding the few soldiers who wanted to talk to him by stating that he was going to the river in order to wash off his month of detention. As soon as he was by the stream, he stripped to nothing and immersed in the cold water, finding relief when the icy water licked his painful wrists.

He rubbed the dirt off of his body, and vigorously scratched his hair under the water before closing his eyes and enjoying this little moment of pure calm and emptiness when he was only Jace, not General Wayland, not the mercenaries' prisoner, just Jace.

As the sun was slowly rising in the East, Jace heard that someone was coming in his direction, and so he quickly splashed his face one last time, and got out of the stream, expecting to see either his Lieutenant or one of his soldiers. But instead, he found himself facing the girl who was staring at him impassively, looking only at his eyes.

Jace chuckled, covering himself back with his dirty clothes as he cursed himself for not thinking of taking clean ones. Then, he looked at the girl, not liking how her bright eyes were boring into his. It seemed like she was trying to look right into his soul.

He cleared a his throat, and after analysing her from head to toe, he told her: "Thank you for saving my life."

For a second, the girl did not move or say anything, but then she removed her scarf and hood, and walked to the stream as she stated: "Your life was never in danger to begin with. You are more valuable alive than dead."

"What would _you_ know about that?" Jace replied with a mocking tone. The fact that she was dressed as a boy and that she knew how to handle weapons did not mean that she knew anything about the strategies of war, intimidation and bargains.

The girl turned her head a little, with a smile that was as mocking as his tone had been, and then she splashed her face with water, rubbing away the dirt and the blood. She kept on washing her face, before getting up and explaining her point of view:

"The King values your life above everything all. _Everyone_ knows that, no matter which country. Everyone knows the high place the _M_ _ighty General Wayland_ holds in King Valentine's heart."

Jace did not say anything, knowing that she was right. He knew that his connection to the King was what kept him alive during the past month. Still, he wondered if she was stating her own opinion, or if she was repeating the words that Bane had told her.

"Does the King know that one of his ten men is a woman?" Jace asked, but the girl remained silent, her eyes analysing him once again as if she could dissect him just by looking at him. Jace desperately waited to hear that his King's trust in him never wavered and that the girl deceived the both of them, but she never opened her mouth to answer him. And so Jace coldly said:

"Do you know why women aren't allowed in armies?"

"I think I got that quite alright when you demonstrated in any way possible how useless I was to you as a soldier," She retorted with sarcasm, but Jace still heard the hurt behind her words. She hadn't like being put down the way he did.

"That's minor. Equipment can be changed. If men can be trained, I believe that it can go the same for women… No. The principal reason women aren't allowed on the battlefield is obvious. _The men_. I can't have men … running wild —"

"You think I am here to … _seduce_ your soldiers?!" The girl cut him off, clearly obfuscated by what he just said. She replaced her hood on her hair with anger lacing her voice she said: "I am here like the rest of you. I am here to serve my King and my Kingdom in the best way I can. Going into a dirty soldier's bed is certainly not part of my agenda."

Jace was about to ask more about her, when she replaced her scarf on her mouth at the exact same moment Bane emerged from nowhere. The politician walked to the girl, taking the time to look at Jace with the same disdain he always reserved for Jace, and then, he told the girl to go back to camp.

The two men looked at the girl walking away from them, and when Jace was about to head himself back to camp, Bane stopped him, revealing a bowl that was in his hands as he said:

"She said that your wrists were in a bad state."

"It's nothing," Jace dismissed, not wanting to being taken care of by the foreigner. Bane did not seem to care of what Jace was wanting, and strongly took his wrists in his hand, making Jace hiss with pain. Bane smirked as his point was proven.

"Let me be the judge of that."

He put ointment on both wrists, being very generous with what he was using. Once he finished, he took one step back to put a reasonable distance between them as he clarified:

"You might have understood it by now, we have a really strong relationship. She is the most precious thing to me in this world. And I will not see her get hurt by your old-fashioned thinking, or your bad decisions.

You might have a deep connection with the King, but I will not hesitate to destroy it if anything happens to her because of you. The King has a a lot of trust in you, but that doesn't grant you immunity from him, either. Treat her differently from any other soldier, and I will make sure to shatter that bond you have with the King.

This is not a threat, this is a truth that will become reality if you change your way of seeing her. She is a soldier, like the rest of us. Gender doesn't bind her."

.

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚**

 **.**

 **~ So, I have just one thing to say, please do not jump on hasty conclusions and read between the lines. Read what Jace thinks and says.**

 **~ Also, before I start getting comments on how Jace is** **racist, know that we are in that medieval-Renaissance time, non-caucasian people were rare at that time on caucasian lands. So yes, Jace refers to Magnus as a foreigner, because he is, but this is it. There is no resentment from Jace because Magnus comes from another country. He is a man like any other to Jace, just looking different.**

 **~ Now, that being said, I hope that you are ready for a cool war story, with action and romance in it, because** **yeah ... I love romance, in case you didn't notice.**

 **~ And, now, question time:**

 **` 1. What do you think is the relationship between the girl, Magnus and Alec?**

 **` 2. What do you think of the little glimpse of Valentine we had?**

 **` 3. What do you think of** **the girl's lack of involvement toward Jace yelling at her?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Kiss💋 Kiss💋 Bang🔫 Bang🔫**


	3. 1 - Strategies

**My dear little broccolis**

 **~ I know many of you thought that I had completely forgotten about this story, but I didn't. I just had take a break from fanfic. I don't know, I was in need of it, so don't hate me. I think that now, I am back on track, but I already know that I won't be as regular as I used to be once upon a time. Sorry, I just know I** **won't be as regular as before, and I want to warn you ahead.**

 **~ Now, like I said, this story is worth reading all over again, because like Road Trippin', there are many things that I will change or make better than the first version you had.**

 **~ Also, well, I am stuck on a couple of stories, so yeah, don't hate me. I'm sure my mojo will soon come back.**

 **Love**

 **.**

 **Chapter 3** **: Strategies (3,8K)**

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **General Jace Wayland, protégé of King Valentine.**

 **.**

Jace was having the best nap he'd had in weeks, when he was shaken awake. Instincts persuaded him to grab the small dagger he always kept on his person, swift as lightning and hold it against Lieutenant Lightwood's throat. For a moment he sat, suddenly alert, his blade pressed against the stiff Lieutenant bobbing Adam's apple, breathing heavily. Then, realizing who it was, he relaxed and fell back onto the pillow. Tiredly, he rubbed his knuckles over his face to erase any traces of sleep and got up.

"How long did you give me?"

"A couple of hours. I can't let you sleep more. All the men are ready to leave and waiting for your orders."

Jace shook his head, removing the crick in his neck and said:

"I'll sleep more tonight. Just give me ten minutes to freshen up. Meanwhile gather the Adjuvants in my tent, as well as Bane."

Without checking if his Lieutenant had understood his order, Jace left his tent and went straight to the stream to splash his face with cold water. For a couple of minutes, he squatted, listening to the cool, gushing water trying to figure out his next move. His capture hadn't just slowed down his mission, but had offered him a whole new perspective.

As he walked back through the camp, he noticed the small amounts of cooked food, which surprised him since there was wood not even a couple of miles away. Jace also noticed the sullen mood of his soldiers, and gathered that his month of captivity had been hard on them as well. The lack of action and purpose had taken its toll on them.

When he entered his tent, five men abruptly stopped their conversation, and turned to him. Jace noted the yellowed map lying on his barely-occupied bed..

There was Bane and Lightwood standing one next to the other, Bane looking preoccupied, staring into space. Jace's three adjuvants were standing in front of the politician and their Lieutenant. Jordan Kyle, Simon Lewis and Mark Blackthorn.

Jordan Kyle was the first man that Jace had taken under his command. He was the same age as Jace, but was taller and far more impressive on a physical level. Kyle was a brute on the battle field. He was not far from the 7 feet of height and the 220 pounds of mass. But his physical advantages were not what made Jace choose such a man to be under his command, it was Kyle's devotion to his troops on the battlefield. Kyle liked to be on the field, so much that he almost refused the rank Jace gave him. He liked battling his enemy, as much as saving his brothers in arms. He was a brute on the battlefield, but Jace knew for a fact that he was a sweetheart otherwise. The apple of his eye, Maia was proof enough of that.

Simon Lewis had been chosen for his unflinching honesty. Lewis was a man who liked to understand, and he never hesitated in asking questions to Jace concerning a mission he did not understand. Jace liked the fact that one of his soldiers (adjuvant in this case) never took his word for blindly and made sure to agree with what he was about to fight for. Unfortunately, both Jace and Lewis knew that he would never be more than an adjuvant. His vision was declining, and though Jace was the only one aware of this, they both knew that this shortcoming would always stop him from being at the head of an army. Jace kept the secret, and did all he could to prevent the humiliation of being retrograde, but there was only so much time before it got out.

Mark Blackthorn was another story. He had to fight his way into the army, and even more into Jace's. Neither Jace nor the General Graymark wanted Blackthorn in the army. Blackthorn was the sole heir of an eminent family that was specialized in spies. He had been raised as such, to take on the legacy. Jace had to admit that having someone trained the way Blackthorn had been was a considerable advantage. He knew about things that most people didn't and always looked at things in a whole different approach. But they all knew that when the time would be needed, Blackthorn would have to take on his legacy.

Repressing a heave, Jace looked at the map on his bed, and asked with a very imperious tone: "Where are we?"

As he was expecting it, Bane was the one to answer him with assurance: "At the border of the Garroway Kingdom."

Jace nodded, his brows furrowed as he was trying to think of the best strategy to apply next. The other men in the tent stayed silent while Jace started pacing, his hands in his back.

"We should divide in three group for a couple of days or more. One to take care of the remains of the mercenary keep and bring anything that could be useful to us. One to gather food and supplies in the forest. One to scout around the mountain and see if it's a safe path for us to go."

Jace stopped his back and forth throughout the tent and looked at the map once again before assigning a group to each of his adjuvant. "Lewis, you'll be in charge of the food. Kyle, you make sure that everyone is dead and stays dead. And if there's a fire still alive, put it out. Maybe you should bring Bane with you, he knows better than us how to handle the fire powder and its consequences. Check if any horses have survived, we're running out- and gather weapons as well, Arrows mostly. As for Blackthorn —"

"Can't I trade with Lewis?" He interrupted his General before being assigned the task of scouting the mountains. Jace frowned a little with surprise by the vehement tone his Adjuvant just used, but Lewis explained without having to what this was all about.

"No! Keep your damn cursed mountains to yourself!"

Jace restrained himself from rolling his eyes, not believing that two of his commending officers were scared by some silly legends about haunted mountains. It was a common knowledge that mountains were supposed to be possessed by vengeful spirits that had once been women; but it was also common knowledge that soldiers were not supposed to be scared by silly old women tales.

When /blackthorn opened his mouth to reply, Jace lost a little his temper and cut short on their banter: "Enough! I did not ask you here to blabber on who is most scared of some bloody old legends. You will do as told, and if you cross the path of a vengeful spirit, then you will have my sincerest apologies."

His adjuvant looked down, shame slightly plastering his face; and when silent came back to the tent, Jace turned to Bane and asked: "How far are we from the Garroway Kingdom?"

Bane seemed surprised that Jace addressed him, but then, he looked deep into Jace's golden eyes, to make him understand what he couldn't say out-loud: "Several miles. I have been told that the summer castle isn't far from the mountain, and … well we can see the mountain from here."

Jace nodded, but before he could think any further about the information Bane just gave him, Blackthorn gave his point of view: "I think you were the target of the raid we suffered, General."

"I think so too. And I intend of thanking personally King Luke for the luxurious month of vacation he gave me," Jace replied, but Blackthorn shook his head and continued:

"I don't think it was King Luke. We kept a rather close watch on that keep, and no messenger was sent. If we are really several miles away from the Garroway Kingdom, they would have sent a rider, not a bird. Plus we were left alone. If King Luke had orchestrated your capture, he never would have left soldiers that close to his borders."

"It's ridiculous, Blackthorn. Who else than King Luke would want to capture one man alone? Especially that man?" Bane reasoned, which didn't make Blackthorn waver one bit from his theory.

"You know as well as I do that our Kingdom is not safe from attacks of others. The General is a well-known swordsman, tell me just of one King who wouldn't want his sword."

"Have you been offered anything?" Bane asked Jace with temper, clearly not believing that Blackthorn could be the slightest right.

"My point exactly. They wore him out. The General is known to be extremely loyal to our King. Before buying his sword, they would have needed to break his spirit."

"Who cares? The General is no longer a prisoner. You can linger on all this political nonsense when we'll get back home," Kyle intervened, rolling his eyes to prove his disinterest on the topic. Jace slightly nodded approval, though he was as curious as Kyle to know who sent the mercenaries after him.

"You're dismissed," He said to the men in his tent, turning his back to them as he bent down to gather the maps that were on is bed. But as the men started to leave, an illumination came to him, and he stopped Bane: "I need you to stay for a couple of minutes, Bane. And Lightwood, tell the Mute to fetch me something to eat before we leave."

The officers left the tent, while Bane stayed with Jace; but Kyle stayed a second more than necessary, his eyes going from Jace, to Bane, to Lightwood. Jace rose an eyebrow at his Adjuvant, who remained stoic before finally leaving the tent. Jace waited to be sure that the tent was closed, to face Bane and inquire: "Have you already been to the Garroway Kingdom?"

"No."

"But the Mute has," Jace said for the foreigner. It seemed obvious to the blond man that the politician was voicing what the girl had told him earlier when he spoke of the location of the summer palace. Jace barely looked up to watch Bane nod, his eyes trying to understand the maze that were maps to him.

"The Mute was the one who knew we were heading in the wrong direction?"

"The Mute always knows way more than he lets to believe," Bane said, the ghost of an ironic smile lingering on his lips: and just at this moment, the Mute entered the tent with a bowl of fruit, and a gourd in her hands. Jace looked at her from head to toe, trying to see through her disguise now that the sun was on his side. But as usual, Jace only saw a frail and small Mute in front of him.

As soon as he took possession of the bowl of fruits, Jace viciously asked the girl: "Where are we?"

With satisfaction, he watched the young girl slowly take off the scarf covering her mouth, while he drank the fresh water from the gourd. He knew that very few people knew how to read maps. The King had tried again and again to explain this knowledge to Jace, but it had all been in vain.

"Camp is here, in a no-mans-land," The girl said after briefly looking at the map, and accentuating her words by pointing somewhere on the map. "The Garroway Kingdom starts where the Seelie forest stops -it's the forest we can see from here." Then she distanced her index and thumb, showing a permitter on the map as she kept going: "It's roughly fifty miles, give or take a few. The summer castle should be approximatively here, with the mountain protecting it from Northern invasion. From where we are, and if we cut by the forest, a rider alone can be there in two to three days if he doesn't ride fast."

Jace took in the information, keeping his surprise of her knowledge for himself. Briefly, he looked at Bane, who was already leaning to whisper something in the young girl's ear, but all she did was frown and shake negatively her head at whatever he told her.

"How long would it take if two riders go full speed?" Jace asked, his eyes on Bane to analyse his reaction. The girl didn't even look up, her eyes still on the map as she confidently affirmed:

"Two days. You would need to let the horses rest a little. If you leave now, you could be at the summer Palace before sundown tomorrow."

"But he won't leave now, since _no one_ can show him the way."

The girl shrugged, showing that she knew perfectly what Jace had been implying all along and she said, resting a comforting hand on Bane's cheek: "Mags, this is not something I wish to fight on once more. We have orders, and they need to be followed, no matter who gives them."

Jace ticked a little at the crystalline sound of her voice before he cut short any protestation from Bane: "We're leaving in an hour. Be ready. Nothing heavy, we're not going to fight, just to see what we're up against."

"Angel, please …" Bane started to plead, but the girl mercilessly shook her head, placing her scarf back on her mouth as she firmly said: "You heard the General. I have to go get ready."

The girl left without even looking back at Bane, and Jace saw in the foreigner's eyes worry mixed with love. But those emotions did not last long as the politician looked back at the General with determination as he threatened: "She better come back with you in one piece."

"Oh. So now, she's a she, is she?" Jace shot back, a cocky smile on his lips that Bane did not appreciate the least in the world. He seemed about to retort something less than friendly, when he deploys breathed through his nose, and looked in his clothes to give Jace a sealed letter:

"This is from our King. I was told to give you this when we would get close to the Garroway border."

Jace took the letter, keeping his emotions to himself while Bane walked to the entry of the tent. Jace had no idea what the letter might, though he hoped that King would give clearer instructions than the ones he gave him before leaving. Bane was about to leave the tent, when he stopped himself and turned to Jace, hesitation gleaming in his eyes:

"I am serious, Wayland. She can be very sneaky, especially when she has an idea in her head. I don't know what the King had told you, but you lead us to believe that King Luke was not going to survive your arrival to his Kingdom. If you are not sure toward this ending, make sure that she understands that a regicide is not in our best interests."

"Bane … Why did you bring her, if you fear that she won't survive this mission?" Jace asked, curious to know why Bane allowed himself to take such a risk. It was obvious that the two had a very deep relationship, and Jace would have even suspected that the young girl was Bane's daughter if Bane hadn't been a foreigner.

Bane chuckled with dark humour, before saying with something that sounded like disbelief: "If I had any say, she wouldn't have come on that ridiculous mission. She brought herself here, because just like you, her first wish is to serve her Kingdom.

Jace nodded, knowing that this was the principal quality he always asked any of his soldiers. Bane left the tent, his cloak billowing behind him, leaving Jace to his thoughts and the letter. Not knowing what to expect, Jace slowly peeled the royal seal away and pulled out the worn-looking parchment.

 _Jace,_

 _If you are reading this letter, you must be arriving toward the Garroway Kingdom, your head still probably unsure of what you should do concerning our last conversation. I know that I let you leave without clear orders on what you should do once you will meet King Luke, and rest assured that it is certainly not because I have no faith in you._

 _It is just that, sometimes, it is better to not let all the pressure of a mission rely on just one man's shoulders. Especially when this man happens to be someone I care deeply about. But that doesn't mean that I don't trust that you will take the right decision when the moment will come. I am sure that in due time, you will take the right decision for the sake of our Kingdom, because you know that the difference between a tyrant and a King is the same as what dissociates a hero from a monster-_

"Compassion," Jace finished. This had probably been the first lesson that the King had taught Jace, how compassion was what was making a man, a man. But now that he was reading the short letter that his sovereign had written for him, Jace still did not know what he was supposed to do.

If he was following his instincts as a soldier, he would not show King Luke any sort of compassion, and end his life as swiftly as possible. it was what would be best for the Kingdom. Sure it might alienate a few other Kingdoms against the Morgensterns, but King Luke was not a man that would ever want to reason with any representer of the Morgenstern Kingdom.

To be honest, Jace did not know what started the war between the two Kings, but he knew that King Luke held a grudge very intense against King Valentine. For a very brief second, Jace considered the idea of summoning Bane and Blackthorn so they could completely debrief him on what they knew concerning King Luke, but he thought better about it, and decided that he would ask them when they all meet back after their respective missions. He didn't want to go that close to the summer Palace of his foe, with new opinions that might cloud his judgement.

As he left his tent and made sure that everyone was getting ready for their right assignment, Jace could hep but think at the first time he went on a mission for his King, and came back victorious.

 _"_ _You seem worried, my King,_ _"_ _Jace pointed out as the King sat on his bed. Jace had come back from his mission two days ago, and already then, Jace had thought that the King seemed more worried than usual._

 _The King kindly smiled to Jace, and patted the bed next to him for Jace to sit; and when Jace did so, King Valentine explained:_ _"_ _It happens, you know. I am getting too old to see people I care for going away, and not being sure of their return."_

 _"_ _I am a General. You shouldn't worry that much for me,_ _"_ _Jace reasoned with a small smile, and the King had the same smile when he answered:_

 _"_ _Parents tend to have this habit to worry for their children, Jace."_

 _Jace did not reply, perfectly aware of the King_ _'_ _s feelings toward him. Instead, he told the King about his travel and how he conquered the Pangborn Kingdom. The King attentively listened, but when Jace started explaining his strategy of war, the King gently cut him, telling him:_

 _"_ _You know, Jace, there are other ways to win wars. Ways that don't require blood being shed."_

 _Jace indulged himself with a small smile, before reminding his benefactor of something very vital in this logic: "I am not a good politician, Sire. You know very well that I would make a fool out of you, if you were to send me as a peace emissary, and not for war._ _"_

 _"_ _That's only because you never gave much interest into politics. If you stayed at the Palace, I could teach you all the subtleties of that subtle art; and I wouldn't worry that I will never see you again."_

 _Jace uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck. This request from King Valentine was something really recurrent in their conversations. Especially since he became General. But Jace never managed to accept the proposition that the King constatantly made to him to live with him at the Palace. Somehow, it felt wrong to Jace. As if he was invading a step too much in the King's life, even if he knew that the King would gladly see him make this step._

 _"_ _You could order me to come with you at the Palace,_ _"_ _Jace cautiously said, his eyes wary on the King, who indulged himself a little smile, shaking his head as he stated:_

 _"_ _Or I could learn to worry less, and stop trying to stop your dreams of conquering the world._ _"_

.

.

 **.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.**

 **Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed**

 **.**

 **~ So,** **finally, here comes chapter 3, long overdue. I truly hope that you liked it, and that you don't hate me for making you wait so long. Sorry, sorry once again!**

 **~ Now, that being said, I hope that you are ready for a cool war story, with action and romance in it, because yeah ... I love romance, in case you didn't notice.**

 **~ And, now, question time:**

 **` 1. What do you think of the relationship between Jace and the King?**

 **` 2. What do you think of the three Adjuvants?**

 **` 3. What do you think of the girl's lack of involvement toward Jace yelling at her?**

 **Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.**

 **Kiss💋 Kiss💋 Bang🔫 Bang🔫**


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